Thursday 11 October 2012

Daniel Schofield Design Studio

Added Value Industrial Design
Born in the UK, Daniel trained as a carpenter before studying Furniture and Product Design at Sheffield Hallam University, during which time he worked in New York for leading Manhattan based interior design practice and specifier DDC.
Graduating in 2011, Daniel developed his Sheffield based studio, specialising in adding extra value and narrative to mass produced and limited edition products.
Daniel focuses on the creative exploration of materials, industrial processes and user interaction, working closely with factories, workshops and manufacturers to produce contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories.
By giving each of his products an individual story, Daniel hopes to create timeless pieces that have an extended lifespan, reducing their impact on the environment.
Daniel Schofield Studio has received national and international acclaim and exhibited at a variety of shows across the country including Design Event Presents at Tent London during London Design Festival September 2012.  Here are his thoughts on the experience:

Products displayed at Tent London

WHAT A CORKER!
What a Corker was conceived to stand the test of time by incorporating high quality materials through precise manufacturing. The design draws on Yorkshire’s industrial capabilities to influence the process of the final product.
By fusing soft and pliable cork with hard and brittle mirror created using flat bed CNC router technology, the shape and hanging method add to the sensation of fragility in a contemporary and eco friendly composition.



COAT EGGS
Coat Eggs are a fun take on the traditional coat peg. Annoyed by coats being left with a point indented in them by sharp metal coat hooks, I looked to find a nice way to round off the shape to stop this happening.
Made from solid Beech, available in boxes of half dozen and designed and laid in Yorkshire.


DEPARTMENT TABLE 
The Department Table has been designed to offer different areas for the various objects found on coffee and side tables.
By identifying what objects people tend to use in conjunction with these pieces, I was able to accommodate for them through three turned surfaces, each offering subtle differences to adapt to the objects placed on them.
This in turn keeps the space less cluttered and more accessible for people to interact with
Made from FSC Ash with a matt lacquer finish and manufactured in Yorkshire
  





What was your experience of exhibiting at Tent London, how did you find it?
I had great experience at Tent! It was a long few days, but that was to be expected. The interest I've had off the back of the show has been really good, in terms of both sales and collaborations. Working with Design Event was really easy, they keep it simple and don't complicate things which made the whole process seem really relaxed.

I think exhibiting as a collective has some really big advantages as well, for instance it enables you to pop off for a while to view other stands and meet people and people can look after the stand for you. Also it gives you people to talk to if the day is going a bit slow.


What were the benefits of exhibiting as part of the collective?
Meeting all the different designers was awesome, it’s good to chat about how they run their businesses and the problems they face.

Did you find you were prepared for the experience of exhibiting at Tent London?  If not, what would you have done differently?
Urmm, I think I was pretty well prepared. I had set up a few meetings before hand and then managed to squeeze a lot of networking in whilst I was there so that was good. 

What were your most interesting conversations?
The most interesting ones for me was going to the super brands section and meeting with designers who are designing for bigger companies and picking their brains about how they operate. I've only been going about 6 months so I'm just trying to learn as much as possible at the moment
  
What other exhibitions did you get to see during LDF?
I was lucky and managed to see quite a bit, I got to Design Junction and 100% Design, both of which were really good.
 
What is next for you?
Next I'm working on the sales side of my business, I've got quite a lot of interest from China off the back of Tent so I'm working on that at the moment. On top of that I've got a couple of collaborations I'm working on, which also came about through Tent and then I'm always working on some designs of my own, it's what keeps me sane!


Friday 20 April 2012

Designs of the Year 2012 exhibition - Design Museum


The Design Museum’s annual ‘best of’ showcases an eclectic mix of the past year’s most innovative design projects from around the world.  Leading design industry minds have selected work within seven categories; Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product and Transport.

Tuesday 24 April will see the announcement of one winning project from the 89 strong long-list.  You can see the full list of nominated works here.

We couldn’t be pinned down to one favourite on our visit to the show, but we did like...


Noma Bar and Outline Editions' Cut It Out project (as seen at Design Event Festival 2011!)


1.3 Chair by Kihyun Kim, made from compressed balsa wood 


 
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, at The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum


Comedy Carpet by Gordon Young and Why Not Associates



www.designsoftheyear.com
Face Substitution (in real time!) by Arturo Castro and Kyle McDonald


Hepworth Wakefield by David Chipperfield Architects

You can catch the show until 4 July!




Friday 13 April 2012

British Design 1948-2012, Innovation in the Modern Age at the V&A


In the 2012 spirit of celebrating all things GB, the V&A’s latest exhibition focuses on British design.  

The show bookends 60 years of British design with the ‘austerity games’ of 1948 and this year’s Olympic effort.  The mammoth task of representing six decades of design is well met with 350 objects which include furniture, product, graphics, fashion, surface, jewellery, industrial and architecture pieces, together with fine art, craft and photography.

The exhibition begins setting the modernist optimism of the 1951 Festival of Britain against the opulence of Elizabeth II’s coronation, and looking at the consequences for design.  Pieces include original drafts of Calvert and Kinneir’s road signage scheme, the Queen’s Flowers of the Field’s of France state gown and early ranges from Habitat and Heal’s.

The second section is titled Subversion, and recognises the irreverent spirit of British creatives working in different disciplines and time periods; from graphics (such as Peter Saville’s sleeves for Factory Records), to fashion (including Tommy Nutter suits) and Studio Ceramics (like Richard Slee’s Drunk Punch).

The final gallery is dedicated to the drive for innovation in British design; the use of new technologies and the forging of new industries.  James Dyson’s upright vacuum cleaner and Troika’s Falling Light sit alongside statement architectural projects, and the development of the British game design industry and advertising sector.

Photography isn’t permitted in the show, so we can’t give you a preview, but you can take up this excellent opportunity to see some ingenious moments in British design until 12 August.

Friday 30 March 2012

Pick Me Up 2012


The third edition of Pick Me Up, the always-anticipated graphic arts fair, opened at Somerset House last week.  

The PMU selection exhibition is back, introducing 20 of the best emerging practitioners working all over the world, from Whitley Bay to Queensland.

PMU is also hosting a fine cohort of collectives, with literary treats from the likes of Nobrow and Cachetejack, and galleries including SOMA and Ship of Fools setting up shop.

This year’s studio residents are the multifarious Peepshow Collective who have established their Museum of Objects & Origins; a collection of objects, prints and drawings from a bizarre invented past.

There’s also a jam-packed programme of residencies, events, screenings and workshops.

There’s still a chance to catch the show tomorrow.  But if you can’t make it, we’ve been along and gathered some of our favourites for you...


Sarah Maycock



Zeloot

Kristjana S Williams

Paul X Johnson

Peepshow Collective

Cachetejack



Thursday 15 March 2012

We're Exhibiting at TENT London this September - take part!

We are inviting northern designers to exhibit with us at TENT London this September.  For more information on how to apply please take a look at our website.

Welcome to the Design Event Blog!

We are going to post a monthly blog on things happening with Design Event, the designers we work with, events and exhibitions we visit and take part in and a whole manner of other topics so stay tuned for more!